Georges Méliès: First Wizard of Cinema (1896-1913)

There are 173 films by seminal early filmmaker Georges Méliès included in this compilation of work, which is the most comprehensive package ever released on DVD. (Both Kino and Facets have issued Méliès round-ups over the past few years, but they aren’t nearly as rich as this five-disc set.) One of the first filmmakers to create effects-driven narratives via the then-new (and radical) use of multiple exposures, stop/start edits, dissolves, time-lapse photography and hand-painted colors, the French Méliès is often referred to as a “Cinemagician,” and one look at his fascinating work reveals why. Amongst the films, which range in running time from 16 seconds to 30 minutes, are such celebrated titles as A Trip to the Moon (1902), The Impossible Voyage (1904) and The Palace of the Arabian Nights (1905), along with a number of digitally stabilized and cleaned rarities that have been gathered from archives and collectors from around the world.

Shelf Talk: Libraries, film societies, museums and other like-minded organizations will be eager to pick up the most comprehensive Méliès compilation ever released on DVD. Aside from the institutional markets, you should inform younger audiences who thrive on the fantasy and effects-driven films of today, as they might be interested in taking a look at movie magic in the days before CGI. The box art also is eye-catching, featuring images of silent-movie-styled fairies, stars and flying machines whirling about the head of Méliès.